Rock de Acá: a History of Argentine Rock ‘n Roll

4th August 2010
John Rodiño

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A mural of Andrés Calamaro on Perú and Moreno is just one of many public artworks in homage to Argentina´s Rock Nacional. (Photo/Brian Funk)

The Argentina Independent talks to rock and roll historian, radio host and author of nine books, Ezequiel Abalos, about his third book, ‘Rock de Acá: La Historia Contada Por Sus Protagonistas’. (Rock from Here: The History Told by its Protagonists). Abalos’ work, written in Spanish, is a complete history of the turbulent beginnings of Argentine rock and roll – commonly known as rock nacional.

When did you decide to focus your career on rock and roll, and more specifically, rock nacional?

Well, I bought my first record I was 13 years old. I remember it was an Alice Cooper album called ‘Billion Dollar Baby’. After listening to that first Alice Cooper record I knew music would be a part of my life forever. That’s what inspired me in 1992 to become a radio journalist and to start my own rock nacional radio show called ‘Rock de Acá’.

What compelled you to write a book about rock nacional?

If you go to any library or bookstore around here, anyone can see that there are a whole lot of books out there about rock nacional. But every book I’ve seen doesn’t take into account the beginnings of this tradition. You know, where and when it was born. They don’t take into account Sandro y los de Fuego, Los Gatos, or any of those bands that were the foundation for rock music in Argentina. I wanted to write something to fill that void – to talk about the important things that no one else had talked about.

Roberto Sanchez, popularly known as “Sandro” and ‘the Elvis of Argentina’ died on 4th January at the age of 64. In your book you talk about how Sandro and his group Los de Fuego were recognised for bringing rock and roll to Argentina by translating popular English-language rock songs into Spanish. How did you react to the news of his death?

I was sad. I was sad for a person who gave so much to music. Everyone who knew him said he was a very kind and generous person. He was a rock and roll pioneer in the early 60s. He was the one who started rock and roll in Argentina by translating rock songs. I think he’ll be remembered as a showman and as someone who went against the norms of rock and roll at the time.

Historian and Argentine Radio Journalist Ezequiel Abalos introduces his new book which documents the history of Argentina´s Rock Nacional. (Photo/Brian Funk)

But on the other hand he didn’t participate in the social movement of the 60s. He didn’t seem to want to be a part of that. By the end of the 60s Sandro had practically left the rock and roll scene entirely. To rock and roll, he became old news fast. By the 70s and 80s he had quit rock and roll entirely became too much of a romanticist for my taste. And because of that he’s known as the precursor of rock nacional. Sandro also lacked originality. Most of his songs in the early 60s were copies of Beatles songs or Buddy Holly songs, just translated into Spanish.

So yes, I felt sad that he passed away because he was a good person, but I can think of other rock musicians who did way more for the rock music in Argentina.

Like who, for example?

Like Luca Prodan from the band Sumo, Miguel Abuelo from Los Abuelos de La Nada, Moris from Los Beatniks. They took music from all over the country and all over the world and created something different. The one thing you have to remember is that rock nacional wasn’t just a copy of British or American rock and roll. You had people like Moris who took tango, milonga, cumbia, bossanova, and combined it with the rock and roll sound of the Beatles, the blues and jazz of black musicians like Chuck Berry and Ray Charles, and the folk sound of Bob Dylan.

So rock nacional wasn’t a copy like Sandro’s music was. Rock nacional was its own thing. It told stories of Argentines and their lives.

In the 1960s in the US and other parts of the world there was a great deal of political unrest and a radical social revolution taking place. And of course much of the English and American rock music of that era reflected that. To what extent did the political atmosphere of Argentina at that time affect the music?

Before the 1960s you should know that in Argentina most children went from childhood right to adulthood. There was no youth culture before the 60s – just kids and adults. But in the 60s the whole world began to see this global social movement – this movement from the youth against the Vietnam War and against the system. And you began to see that in Argentina, too. And that’s when the youth in Argentina began to take on its own personality. They began to develop an identity. For the first time the youth began to want things: they wanted to enjoy life, travel, take drugs, listen to rock and roll and be free.

But there was no freedom in Argentina at that time. It was a time of oppression – there was a dictatorship. The police used to arrest hippies and cut their hair, or arrest them and torture them. And when they were freed a lot of them took up their guitars and began writing songs. It was a way to protest their situation. Rock nacional became a motive to exist.

Rock de Aca, the book with a CD, is available at many independent bookstores around the captial, including Libros del Pasaje, Thames 1762, La Libre, Bolivar 646, as well as all the Musimundos and the bar at La Tribu, Lambaré 873.

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1 Comment

You rock brother. I am Abbey stJohn a signed independent musician for 40 years now and am finally just beginning to find acceptance in my own country for being a bi-Racial rocker. Growing up with Sonny boy Williamson and Mick Jagger soaking up the ambience in our south side Chicago Neighborhood. I dreamed of playing with my hero’s Chris Squire from Yes and Leslie West of Mountain who pioneered the early heavy rock sound. I was rejected by the black community and preyed on by the white community like Jimi Hendrix was early on. I pierced both my ears like Jimi Hendrix and with My Beatle boots and Sitar in hand I set out for Hollywood and what was to become a rude awakening that it was no better there for people of color in rock, dominated by big haired white guys with no substance, just substance abuse. My short lived friendship with Phil Linott of Thin Lizzie the black Irishman and Dallas Taylor of CSNY along with the Chambers brothers and Living color gave me new hope I wouldn’t be profiled as the new Jimi Hendrix or a R&B singer as usual.
I was passed over for my 1st Geffen records contract after moving to Hawaii for peace of mind in 1980 for another non substantive hair band called Adam Bomb which still stings today. After building my own recording studio and going back to my roots, I have arrived as guitarist singer songwriter with the hard rock trio of my dreams. Now I am very well received as one of the originals with an all new story and all new music history for the public hungry for that heavy sound of Marshalls & Les Paul’s screaming the blues on steroids that I still deliver every night. Our Argentinian bassist Julian “Matias” Meyer, son of an Argentinian music publisher along with my good friend Chris Squire who tours their yearly, have peaked my interest in Argentina. From your articles I see Argentina has evolved parallel with the US music business, and as a Mecca of freedom of expression and exciting opportunity to play for some appreciative audiences we’d love to experience someday. Keep rocking brother. See http://www.abbeystjohn.com